A Catholic in Moscow

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sicutincensum

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I will ask my SD about this, but since he might not be exactly informed about this issue, I decided to ask you, my dear and knowledgeable forum members.

By invitation of a good orthodox friend, I will, God willingly, be visiting Moscow very soon for some days. I will staying at her home (which means we will spend much time together), and she, when we were, some days ago, in the USA, made question of attending mass with me at a Catholic church.

My question is: I know Catholics are allowed by the Catholic Chuch to receive the Eucharist at an Orthodox Church (although they won’t allow it), but need I go twice at mass (with her to the Orthodox Church, and then at a Catholic Church to fulfill the Sunday precept)? I think this could be scandalous to her, and hurt her image of the Catholic commitment to ecumenism. I believe this would count for a serious “moral” reason for attending only the Orthodox liturgy.

What do you think? 🙂
 
This is one of those questions that has been discussed in multiple threads in this forum.

In any case, and FWIW, others here will say differently, but it seems to me that the question of fulfilling one’s “obligation” in an Orthodox church remains an open one in terms of the prescriptions of Canon Law.

From the CIC
Can. 923 The Christian faithful can participate in the eucharistic sacrifice and receive holy communion in any Catholic rite, without prejudice to the prescript of ⇒ can. 844.
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A strong argument can be made that the above quoted canon includes Orthodox liturgies.
 
I would speak to your local congregation Priest should you not find the answers here sufficient.
 
Actually you mimicked my thoughts here. Its a good point to keep in perspective.
 
I went to an Orthodox church in Moscow on Red Square, Saint Basil’s, this past year, what a marvelous experience, but I did not receive communion. I did cover my head and I was very tired from 2 hours of standing!!! Getting to a Catholic Church was not possible but I feel that since this was travel time I was doing was O.K. with the Catholic Church.
 
It is preposterous why people are advocating the less frequency of Communion.
 
You can both go to the Catholic Church Saturday evening and to the Orthodox Sunday morning. Distance should not be a problem, the subway is really good in Moscow!

If you do not wish to tell her that the Church wants us to go to a liturgy in full Communion with Rome every week, just tell her you want to Communion and say no more.

I am sure you will be jealous of their Liturgy though! 🙂
 
sicutincensum said:
I will ask my SD about this, but since he might not be exactly informed about this issue, I decided to ask you, my dear and knowledgeable forum members.

By invitation of a good orthodox friend, I will, God willingly, be visiting Moscow very soon for some days. I will staying at her home (which means we will spend much time together), and she, when we were, some days ago, in the USA, made question of attending mass with me at a Catholic church.

My question is: I know Catholics are allowed by the Catholic Chuch to receive the Eucharist at an Orthodox Church (although they won’t allow it), but need I go twice at mass (with her to the Orthodox Church, and then at a Catholic Church to fulfill the Sunday precept)? I think this could be scandalous to her, and hurt her image of the Catholic commitment to ecumenism. I believe this would count for a serious “moral” reason for attending only the Orthodox liturgy.

What do you think? 🙂
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Here’s what you do:
I doubt you will be allowed to receive communion at the Orthodox Church (such things happened in Russia - and perhaps even today - but only in remote villages where it was obviously difficult or impossible for Catholics to have their own church). Tell her how important the Eucharist is for you, and since you won’t be able to receive it at the Orthodox Church, you need to go to a Catholic Liturgy as well to receive communion.

Blessings,
Marduk
 
sicutincensum said:
…
My question is: I know Catholics are allowed by the Catholic Chuch to receive the Eucharist at an Orthodox Church (although they won’t allow it), but need I go twice at mass (with her to the Orthodox Church, and then at a Catholic Church to fulfill the Sunday precept)? I think this could be scandalous to her, and hurt her image of the Catholic commitment to ecumenism. I believe this would count for a serious “moral” reason for attending only the Orthodox liturgy.

What do you think? 🙂
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Scandalous means leading another to sin through your actions or avoidance of action. Catholics are held to avoid the scandal of indifferentism: giving the impression that other Churches other than the Catholic Church have the fullness of faith. Since hierarchical communion of all bishops with the Bishop of Rome is a characteristic only of the 23 Catholic ritual churches, it is not scandalour for you to receive the Holy Mystery of Communion in a Catholic Church on the same day as an ecumenical visit to an Orthodox parish, in fact, the converse may be true.
  1. Since the celebration of the Eucharist on the Lord’s Day is the foundation and centre of the whole liturgical year, [120] Catholics—but those of Eastern Churches according to their own Law [121]—are obliged to attend Mass on that day and on days of precept. [122] It is not advisable therefore to organize ecumenical services on Sundays, and it must be remembered that even when Catholics participate in ecumenical services or in services of other Churches and ecclesial Communities, the obligation of participating at Mass on these days remains.
  2. Whenever necessity requires or a genuine spiritual advantage suggests, and provided that the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided, it is lawful for any Catholic for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister, to receive the sacraments of penance, Eucharist and anointing of the sick from a minister of an Eastern Church.[128]
vatican.va/roman_curia/po…ectory_en.html
 
MOSCOW VISIT

I cannot recommend how many times or when to go to Divine Liturgy while in Moscow. However, I can recommend where to go. My nephew is monk at Sretenskiy Monastery in center Moscow. Sreteniye in English means Candlmas or direct translate Meeting of Mary in Temple. But you will find Liturgy very worshipful and holy. I am sure your friend knows such Monastery.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
http://pravoslavie.ru/gallery/image78_15906.htm
 
Volodymyr said:
MOSCOW VISIT

I cannot recommend how many times or when to go to Divine Liturgy while in Moscow. However, I can recommend where to go. My nephew is monk at Sretenskiy Monastery in center Moscow. Sreteniye in English means Candlmas or direct translate Meeting of Mary in Temple. But you will find Liturgy very worshipful and holy. I am sure your friend knows such Monastery.
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Lovely. Appears to be Pentecost from the trees inside the church. 👍
 
sicutincensum said:
I will ask my SD about this, but since he might not be exactly informed about this issue, I decided to ask you, my dear and knowledgeable forum members.

By invitation of a good orthodox friend, I will, God willingly, be visiting Moscow very soon for some days. I will staying at her home (which means we will spend much time together), and she, when we were, some days ago, in the USA, made question of attending mass with me at a Catholic church.

My question is: I know Catholics are allowed by the Catholic Chuch to receive the Eucharist at an Orthodox Church (although they won’t allow it), but need I go twice at mass (with her to the Orthodox Church, and then at a Catholic Church to fulfill the Sunday precept)? I think this could be scandalous to her, and hurt her image of the Catholic commitment to ecumenism. I believe this would count for a serious “moral” reason for attending only the Orthodox liturgy.

Your first moral obligation is to your own faith. If you missed Sunday Mass to attend an Orthodox Mass, it would be a mortal sin unless you simply could not attend any Mass due to physical incapacity, illness, etc. Friendships, party loyalties, entertainment etc which conflict are not serious excuses. 👍
What do you think? 🙂
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Death carrying Sin to attend Orthodox Church??

what do I think? I am glad I am not bound by such sophistic legal views! Some Catholics seem more tolerant particularly those who see atheism unbelief as worse evil than Orthodoxy! am I dead in spirit because I attended Catholic big mass and even exposed other Orthodox believers to such sin just to hear Ioann Pavel when in Kiev??
 
Volodymyr said:
Death carrying Sin to attend Orthodox Church??

what do I think? I am glad I am not bound by such sophistic legal views! Some Catholics seem more tolerant particularly those who see atheism unbelief as worse evil than Orthodoxy! am I dead in spirit because I attended Catholic big mass and even exposed other Orthodox believers to such sin just to hear Ioann Pavel when in Kiev??
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Духовная смерть является отсутствие милосердия к Богу. Иногда это происходит, через заблуждение других, по действий или небрежности, потому что мы хранителем наших братьев, учил наш Господь Иисус Христос – но мы не знаем намерений других людей, и мы не можем осуждать их.

Spiritual death is the lack of of charity for God. Sometimes this is through misleading others by action or negligence, because we are our brothers keeper – taught by our Lord Jesus Christ – but we do not know the intentions of others, and we can not blame them.
 
Vico said:
Духовная смерть является отсутствие милосердия к Богу. Иногда это происходит, через заблуждение других, по действий или небрежности, потому что мы хранителем наших братьев, учил наш Господь Иисус Христос – но мы не знаем намерений других людей, и мы не можем осуждать их.

Spiritual death is the lack of of charity for God. Sometimes this is through misleading others by action or negligence, because we are our brothers keeper – taught by our Lord Jesus Christ – but we do not know the intentions of others, and we can not blame them.
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“милосердия к Богу” (mercy of God) should have been “любовь к Богу” (love of God) for the English translation “charity for God”.
 
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